Attack on the Shield
by abrocks1234
Summary: In the year 3105, the Earth was blocked from the sky by a giant shield, to keep Humanity save from titans, giant flying beasts in the sky. 100 years later, in a world of computers and flying cars, the shield covering Shingansina is broken. But Eren has big dreams. Dreams of the Survey Corps, destroying the titans. Dreams that are coming true. AU, Future
1. Attack on Shingansina

Exactly one hundred years ago from today was the last day humanity has seen any titans.

Titans were beasts from the sky, with wingspans that can range from 4-24 meters. Man-eating monsters that swooped down and ate any human in sight. But that was before the shield was built.

A black bubble, wrapping around the earth, was up to 50 meters tall, blocking the earth from the sky. Walls came down from the shield separating different lands, if the oceans couldn't. Humanity had started to rebuild again.

In a land of flying cars and hover boards, in a land of jet packs and laser swords, in a land called Shingansina, there was a boy. A simple boy, an ordinary boy. He followed the rules that the Emperor had set, living with his mother, father, and adopted sister Mikasa. A boy with a short temper and big dreams. A boy named Eren Jeager.

A boy who was going to be late for school.

The door to Eren's bedroom slammed open, revealing a 12 year old girl, with long, flowing black hair and gentle yet strict eyes. She looked at the bed, the blanket thrown off, and the boy sleeping upside down with one leg hanging off the bed. "Eren," she said calmly. He didn't move. "EREN!"

Eren snorted and jerked up quickly, falling off the bed with a THUMP. "Owwww!" he rubbed his tailbone before glaring at Mikasa. "What the hell?!"

"You're late," Mikasa said. "Didn't your alarm wake you?"

Suddenly, the brown walls of the bedroom flashed red, music playing. "Eren," a robotic voice said over the music. "Time for school." The walls went from flashing red to a hologram that read 7:50 AM.

"Alarm, off," Eren said, and the entire room went back to normal. He chuckled uncomfortably, looking at Mikasa. "I must have set it at the wrong time..."

Mikasa turned in the doorway, her hair swishing dramatically. "School starts in ten minutes."

"AH!" Eren scrambled to his feet. "Computer! Clothes, please."

"Of course, Eren," a robot woman said through the speakers. Eren stood in front of the mirror, which scanned him and showed him an outfit. "No," Eren said, and it showed a different outfit. "No. No. No. HELL NO!" Then, a green shirt and brown jean shorts showed up. "That will have to do, I guess," Eren said, and the clothes automatically appeared on his body, switching with his pajamas.

"Brushing teeth," the robot woman said as a robot arm popped out of the mirror, holding a toothbrush.

"Ah," Eren opened his mouth and let the robot arm brush his teeth before running out of his room. "Mikasa, Mikasa wait for me!" he yelled as toast popped out of the toaster and landed in his hand. Mikasa was already on her hover board, bag slung over one shoulder.

Eren gasped for breath, pulling a "shojo anime female late for school" with the toast hanging out of his mouth. He climbed up onto the hover board and zoomed after Mikasa, taking the toast out of his mouth and yelling "MIKASA!"

* * *

><p>Mikasa, Armin, and Eren were all hover boarding back from school, Armin's nose stuck in a book. Armin was a small boy, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. While he wasn't the most athletic of the bunch, he was a certifiable genius. "You better put that away, Armin," Mikasa said. "You'll get in trouble if your caught reading anything the school computer says you can't."<p>

"But look at this! Apparently, at old schools, there used to be these things called 'teachers'. Actual adults that actually came into the school and taught the students!"

"That's crazy, Armin," Eren said. "It's always been just computers running the school. Shield guards, two o'clock."

Armin quickly stuffed the book into the bag before the shield guards, soldiers trained to watch over the shield so titans couldn't get through, could see.

"Hello, Mr. Hannes," Mikasa said calmly.

"Mikasa! Armin! Eren!" Hannes said, waving the three kids over. His cheeks were a bright pink and he had a big, dopey smile. His breath reeked of booze.

"You're drunk on the job again, aren't you?!" Eren growled.

"Eren!" Mikasa scolded.

"Aw, it doesn't matter that much," Hannes said, opening up another bottle and taking a swig. "It's not like none of the other shield guards do this."

"What if titans come in?!" Eren yelled, earning a tiny groan from Armin.

"Not this again," Hannes laughed. "Remember, today is the 100th anniversary of the shield! And no titans have ever gotten in. I think we're fine, kid." He slapped Eren on the back, grinning.

Eren just rode his hoverboard backwards, away from the buzzed shield guard. "Whatever. Mikasa, Armin, let's go!"

Suddenly, there was a loud sound from above, like an engine revving to life. "IT'S THE SURVEY CORPS!" Eren, bounced on his hover board. "ARMIN, MIKASA, LET'S GO!"

"Bye, Mr. Hannes!" Armin waved as the three kids zoomed off on their hover boards to greet the Survey Corps.

* * *

><p>The Survey Corps. The incredibly brave (and quite frankly, incredibly stupid) soldiers who have agreed to go outside the shield and fight titans so humanity can be free once and for all. People who don't believe that the shield is a blessing, but a curse, people who want to go out and explore the galaxies, just like people used to do pre-titan era.<p>

People like Eren.

A line of people watched as the gate on the shield opened, and the Survey Corps piled in. Some on jet packs, some on flying carts carrying the wounded and the dead. Some on flying motorcycles.

"Look, look, it's Captain Levi!" Eren pointed as a man flew down on a flying motorcycle. His cape with the Survey Corps sign, the wings of freedom, billowed behind him as he landed the bike on the ground. "The strongest soldier humanity has ever seen..." Eren gasped in awe.

But Mikasa had her eye on the carts. She didn't want Eren looking at all the corpses. "Your mom wants us home soon, Eren," she said.

"Just a few more minutes!" Eren said. "Look, it's Erwin Smith!"

Armin looked at Mikasa and understood. "Hey Eren, let's go back to your house and we can read my book."

"OKAY!" Eren spun around on his hover board. His mind was instantly away from the Survey Corps, and he never saw the corpses. Mikasa smiled thankfully at Armin, and he just grinned back.

"Race you two there!" Eren said, speeding off on his hover board.

* * *

><p>Eren, Mikasa, and Armin sat on top of Eren's roof, feet dangling over the edge. Armin sat in the middle of the two with the book open in his lap.<p>

"Look at this! There's this thing called a sun, that apparently gave light to the old earth wanderers," he said, pointing at a diorama.

"But what about the shield lights?" Eren asked, pointing up at the shield above them. Squares of light bulbs shone down on Shingansina.

"It was brighter than the shield lights!" Armin giggled excitedly. "It's a giant ball of gas far away from Earth! And look at this," he turned the page, and the two others sucked in their breath.

"They're beautiful," Mikasa whispered.

"Stars!" Armin said. "They're supposed to be even more beautiful in real life. And get this, they only come out a night."

"Gosh, that's so cool! I wish I could see the stars."

"Hey, Eren, someday, we should go outside the shield. We can see what's beyond the ground!" Armin said, closing the book. "We can see the sun! And the stars!"

"Yeah! And all the titans would be gone, and we would be free to fly wherever we want to!" Eren said , stretching his arms out as if they were wings. "We can get real jet packs, like the Survey Corps."

"And we can fly up to the stars! Beyond the stars!" Armin laughed before holding out his pinkie. "Promise, we will both go outside the shield someday?"

Eren nodded, wrapping his pinkie around Armin's. "Promise. Someday, we'll see it. We'll see whats beyond the shield."

There was an intense moment of understanding between them before there was a large THUD from above them. Slowly, the three friends looked up to the shield as there was another THUD and the shield shook.


	2. The Fall of Shingansina

"What was that?" Eren asked. Armin scooted just the slightest bit closer to Eren, grabbing onto his arm with one hand and clutching the book to his chest with the other. Mikasa stood up, ready to protect them both.

THUD.

THUD.

THUD.

"It can't be a titan!" Armin said, mostly trying to convince himself. "The odds...there are no titans big enough to-"

Interrupting his sentence was a giant hand breaking through the black barrier, shattering light bulbs and sending debris raining down on Shingansina. Mikasa, at the speed of light, whipped off her jacket and crouched by Eren and Armin, holding it above their heads so the glass won't land on them. Armin screamed and hid his face behind his book as the giant red hand retreated back into the shield, leaving a huge, gaping hole.

"Armin, look! It's blue up there!" Eren pointed. Armin peeked out from above his book.

"The sky is blue, Eren."

Suddenly, the hand came back into the hole, gripping the edge of it and tearing at it, making it bigger. Finally, the population of Shingansina could see the face of the attacker.

The largest titan they had ever seen stared down on them. At least 50 meters high, with a wingspan of about 80 meters.

"THE TITANS ARE GOING TO GET IN!" someone in the crowd that had gathered outside screamed. Suddenly, the town was in chaos.

"We need to get your mom and get out of here," Mikasa said. "Computer! Take us down!"

A slide came out from the edge of the roof, reaching the ground. The three kids slid down and started running around the house to get to the front door.

"LOOK!" Armin pointed at the hole as the first titans had started to fly in. They looked like naked humans, except for their size, wings, and lack of genitalia. And they all seemed to be male. Eren couldn't tear his eyes away from them. They were huge, terrifying creatures, in no way majestic as they flew in and landed on houses, roaring.

"EREN!" Mikasa grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of his trance. They were about to reach the front door before a titan landed square on the house. The three skidded to a stop, staring up in awe and terror at the beast.

"It's an Abnormal, from the 14 meters tall variety," Armin whispered in terror. "Wingspan, 10 meters."

It sat on top of the crushed house, almost sitting like a dog, it's wings slowly opening and closing. It's giant eyes studied them carefully.

"Nice...titan..." Armin put both hands up in surrender.

"Wait...is that..." Eren pointed at a figure crushed under some debris of the house. "It's...MOM!" He rushed over.

"EREN!" Mikasa ran after him. Armin tried to run after them, but the titan suddenly slammed it's hand down, separating him from the two. He let out an earsplitting scream.

"ARMIN!" Mikasa yelled, staring at the hand, then over her shoulder at Eren.

"Don't worry, mom, I'm getting you out of here," Eren said through the tears spilling down his face as he clawed at the debris crushing his mother's legs. Blood dripped down his fingers, but he kept on pushing harder.

"What are you, stupid?! Go! Run away!" his mom screamed, crying as well from pain and terror.

"NO! I'm not leaving you, mom!" Eren yelled, grunting as he tried to lift it by himself.

Mikasa looked back at the giant hand before turning and running over to Eren, helping him lift the debris.

"AHHHHH! AH, AH, GAHAHAHAAA!" Armin screamed as the titan reached for him. He held out his only weapon, the book, bracing himself for the end. Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around him and his feet left the ground. He spun his head and saw Hannes, landing the jet pack on the next house over and lowering Armin.

"Got there just in time, eh?" Hannes said with the slightest bit of pride mixed with terror.

"Er...er...er..."

"Spit it out, boy!"

"EREN!" Armin pointed down at Eren, Mikasa, and Carla, their mother. The titan had turned to them and furled up it's wings, reaching for Eren.

Eren stared up at the hand looming over him before turning back to his mom and pushing harder.

"HANNES!" Carla screamed. "HANNES, TAKE THEM AND GO!"

Hannes swooped back down on jet pack and snatched Eren and Mikasa. The titan's hand closed around Carla as he turned around and started flying back to Armin.

"NO! STOP THAT! MOM! MOOOOM!" Eren clawed at Hannes's neck reaching out for his mother. Both Mikasa and him watched in terror as Carla was lifted up to the titan's mouth. She punched at the giant hand around her, thrashing and screaming.

The mouth opened, revealing hell to Carla. "EREN! MIKASA! LIVE ON! YOU MUST LIVE O-"

She was interrupted as the teeth closed down on her torso, ripping her in half. The blood flew out of her like those cherry blossoms they use in anime. Single droplets rained down onto the crushed building, and a waterfall poured out of her lower half. The titan grinned a titan-y grin, baring it's bloodstained teeth. It let Carla's legs slip out from it's hand and land in the pool of blood with a SQUISH.

Mikasa just gaped in surprise as Eren screamed bloody murderer. "BASTARD!" he yelled to both Hannes and the titan as it stood, unfurled it's wings, and took to the air. "DAMN BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU! MOM! NO...mom," Eren covered his mouth as he choked on his tears. Hannes flew the three kids the wall that separated Shingansina from the next town over, where the gate was open and the refugees were swarming.

* * *

><p>A titan stepped out from the mess of tall buildings, in front of the wall with the gate surrounded by Shingansina survivors. On the other side of that closed gate were hundreds of people escaping the slaughter, and this particular titan knew that. It was like the colossal titan that broke the shield, it was way beyond Abnormal. It was covered in a golden armor, and it's wings were small for it's size, and heavy looking, covered in armor as well. There was no way that this one could be a great flyer.<p>

However, it was a great runner.

It moved one foot back, in a runner-in-a-race-like stance. The shield guards manning the gate stared in awe. The titan suddenly took off running, the force of it's push off leaving a dent in the cement.

"FIRE! FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE!" the leader of the group yelled, pointing at the titan. Cannons fired rapidly at the titan, completely enveloping it in smoke. The guards waited, staring at the cloud of smoke. Suddenly, the head burst out of the smoke, followed by the rest of it, not even slowed by the cannons.

"SHIT! RETREAT!" the leader said, spinning on his heel and running for the gate, followed by his comrades. The armored titan's foot smashed down on the abandoned canons and, without hesitating, burst straight through the wall. The people waiting to board the escape ships spun around at the sound. In the distance, they could see the golden beast, emerge through the dust and debris. It's mouth opened and steam rolled out like a machine.

* * *

><p>Armin, Mikasa, and Eren sat on the boat, watching it take them through the gates of the wall and over the lake. "Eren?" Armin whispered.<p>

Eren suddenly stood up and stomped over to the edge of the ship, smashing his hands down and looking up into the sky, tears spilling out of his terrifyingly angry eyes. "I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE!"

"Eren..." Mikasa stood up.

"THEY KILLED HER! I WILL GET MY REVENGE! THEY WILL RUE THE DAY THEY CAME INTO THE LIFE OF EREN JAEGER!"

Armin reached out for Eren but then stopped himself, grabbing his own wrist and yanking it back down, bowing his head. Covered by his long blonde hair, he let tears roll down his cheeks and land on the book on his lap. Mikasa looked at Armin, then Eren. She walked over, took Eren's hand, and sat him back down, looking up at the shield above them and sighing.


	3. Attack on Shadis

"Hey guys, look what I got!" Armin yelled, running over to Mikasa and Eren. They were all in the refugee camps in Trost, the next town over, blocked from Shingansina with both a wall and a lake. Armin carried in his arms three tiny pieces of bread.

"Woah, you actually got three?!" Eren said.

"One for each of us," Armin answered, handing them out. Eren opened his mouth, about to take a huge bite of his bread when he looked up and saw two Trost shield guards looking at them. They both scoffed and turned to walk away. Scowling, Eren lowered the bread.

"Eren, don't do anything rash," Mikasa said, putting one hand on Eren's shoulder. Eren shrugged her arm away.

"Did you see the way they looked at us!"

"Well, Eren, they see us as people taking up space and wasting their food," Armin explained.

"We're human, just like them! We deserve to be treated equally!" Eren shoved his bread into Mikasa's arms and stormed towards the shield guards.

"Eren!" Armin held his hand out, watching as Eren walked over and kicked one if the shield guards in the shin.

"HEY! What the hell, you little brat?!" The shield guard looked down at Eren and raised a fist. He punched Eren square in the jaw, and the other kicked him in the ribs, knocking the boy to the ground.

Eren wiped his mouth with his sleeve and glared up at the shield guards, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "FIND YOUR HUMANITY! WE WOULD HELP YOU IF YOU WERE IN THIS SITUATION!"

"Jeez, it's like the Revenge of the Munchkins," one shield guard said, raising his foot, preparing to knock Eren out in one swift kick to the head. Eren closed his eyes and braced himself. But the blow never hit.

"PLEASE FORGIVE OUR FRIEND!"

Eren looked up and Armin was standing in front of him, his arms out. "HE'S JUST HUNGRY AND UPSET! HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HIS ANGER OUT ON YOU AND WE'RE VERY SORRY!"

Mikasa helped Eren up and the three of them walked away. Once they were out of earshot, Eren angrily.

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

"They were about to hurt you, Eren!"

"YOU CAN'T JUST APOLOGIZE TO THEM!"

"Eren, we can focus on fairness later. Right now, all we have to do is focus on staying alive. You need to eat," Armin handed Eren the bread calmly.

Eren looked down at the bread, then back up at Armin, even more rage filling his green eyes. "FAIRNESS SHOULD ALWAYS BE OUR FIRST PRIORITY! BEING HUMANE IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY! I WON'T JUST LET THEM KNOCK US AROUND LIKE THAT!" He chucked the bread back at Armin, knocking him square in the face. Grunting, Armin fumbled with the bread, attempting to catch it, then look up sadly at Eren.

Suddenly, Mikasa rushed forward and slammed her fist into Eren's cheek, sending him flying. He collapsed on the ground and quickly turned to glare at her, his cheek turning red, a single tear falling down his face, hanging onto his chin for a moment before falling onto the pavement. "WHAT THE HELL, MIKASA?!"

Mikasa looked down at him calmly, taking the bread out of Armin's hands. "I'm tired of listening to this nonsense, Eren. Remember what your mom said?"

The scene flashed before his eyes again. _"EREN! MIKASA! LIVE ON! YOU MUST LIVE O-" _Eren swallowed back his tears.

"Right now that's our first priority. For now, just live. Eventually, you will get your revenge. I promise," Mikasa stuffed the bread into Eren's mouth, gagging him. "Eat the bread, Eren. Eat it and survive, for now."

Eren gagged, saliva dripping out from between his lips and the bread. He closed his eyes and tears fell.

* * *

><p>"I've decided."<p>

Armin looked up at Eren, who was leaning against the brick wall with his arms crossed, looking up, the shield lights glinting in his eyes. Mikasa stood in front of them both, and Armin was sitting against the brick wall, his grandfather's hat on his head and the same book from that one fateful day in Shingansina on his lap.

"I've decided to join the Survey Corps."

Armin's eyes widened. "B-But Eren!"

"I'm going to kill all of them," Eren look down at Armin, his fists clenching. "And the only way I can get to ALL of them is going beyond the shield."

"I'm joining too," Mikasa said.

"MIKASA!" Armin turned to her. He had expected her to try and convince Eren not to join.

"Mikasa, you don't have t-" Eren started to say before he was interrupted.

"I want to join, Eren," Mikasa gave him a meaningful look, and he stopped.

Armin looked up at Eren, then at Mikasa, then Eren, then back at Mikasa. Finally, he sighed and looked down at the book, open to the page about the stars. "I suppose, then, I'll join too."

"Armin-" Eren was once again interrupted.

"Eren, it's not just because you and Mikasa are doing it. Of course, that is a big variable in this, however..." Armin sighed again. "I suppose it's these," he ran his finger down the page of the book.

"The stars?" Eren asked. Armin nodded.

"It's been my dream to see these. My parents did, and so did my grandfather."

"They all ended up dead, Armin!" Eren said, earning a warning look from Mikasa. "It's dangerous!"

Armin swallowed. "I don't care, Eren. I may not be talented, like Mikasa, or brave, like you, but I have dreams too." Armin nodded, almost as if he was also convincing himself. A more confident smile grew across his face, and his voice raised. "All my life I wanted to see the sky, and all it's wonders. The moon, the sun, the clouds, the stars! The never-ending abyss that is space. I wanted to see it change colors. You're never looking at the same sky twice." Armin looked up at Eren, a huge grin now splitting across his face. "I want to see that. At least once."

Eren grinned back down at Armin, then up at Mikasa. "It's settled then."

* * *

><p>Three years later, rows and rows of men and women in trainees uniforms stood in salute, listening to Keith Shadis, head instructor of the 104th trainee squad. In the crowd of trainees, there is Armin, saluting shyly, Mikasa, saluting calmly and seriously, and Eren, who's determination showed not only in his salute, but in his eyes. He raised his chin high, furrowing his brows, almost glaring back at Shadis.<p>

Shadis had a very intimidating look. His eyes looked almost sunken in his bald head, and he had wrinkles around his mouth and forehead. "WELCOME," he screamed, "TO THE 104TH TRAINEE SQUAD! OR, AS YOU WILL GET TO KNOW IT AS, _ABSOLUTE HELL_!"

Shadis had a little "rite of passage" for all the new trainees. It includes screaming at them, asking their name and where they come from, and scaring the shit out of them.

"AND WHO DO WE HAVE HERE?!" he yelled in one trainee's face.

"Jean Kirstein from Trost, sir!" he answered, tightening in his salute.

"AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

At this, a smile split across Jean's face. "To join the military police, sir, the best."

Shadis studied Jean's smile for a moment. "SO. You want a nice, COZY life in the interior, huh?"

"Yes-UGH!" Jean grunted as Shadis suddenly shot forward and head-butted him. He fell to his knees, clutching his head and whimpering in pain.

"STAND UP, KIRSTEIN! IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE SOMETHING LIKE THAT THEN I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WILL EXPECT TO BE IN THE TOP TEN!"

With that, Shadis moved on. But, he was skipping some people, Eren noticed. What Shadis was attempting to do with his little "rite of passage" was to show the cadets that they will be going through hell. He may seem mean, but he was actually warning them. The people he was skipping were the people he could tell have already been through hell. People like Mikasa and Eren.

"WHAT'S WITH THAT STUPID SMILE?!"

"MARCO BODT, SIR, FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF WALL ROSE! I WANT TO JOIN THE MILITARY POLICE AND GIVE MY LIFE, LIMB, AND SERVICE TO THE KING!"

"Well then, aren't you just the little idealist idiot?" Shadis said, crossing his arms. "You want the truth, Bodt? The only place you'll be serving is INSIDE A TITAN'S BELLY!"

The bright smile on Marco's face slowly dissolved as Shadis walked over to the next one.

"YOU JUST LOOK LIKE A FUCKING PING PONG BALL! WHAT'S YOUR STORY, CADET?!"

"Oh, me?" the boy quickly saluted. "Connie Springer, from Ragako village!"

Shadis, at light speed, had grabbed Connie by the head and lifted him off the ground, stretching out his eyes. "IS YOUR HEART ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR BODY, CADET?! HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO SURVIVE THE TITANS IF YOU CAN'T EVEN SALUTE RIGHT?!"

Suddenly, a sound echoed through the crowd, and Shadis went silent. The sound of someone biting into something, then chewing. All heads turned to the girl behind Connie, chewing on a potato. Slowly, but intimidatingly, Shadis made his way over to the girl.

"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, CADET?!"

She quickly swallowed and saluted, with the potato clenched in her fist. "Sasha Blouse, sir, from Dauper village, at your service!"

"And what is that in your hand, Sasha Blouse?" he asked, emphasizing on her name.

"A steamed potato, sir. It was asking to be eaten, sir!"

"But...why here? Of all places, why eat it here?"

Sasha hesitated, thinking for a moment before she spoke. "It would have gotten cold if I waited, sir."

Shadis seemed to honestly not understand. "But...WHY? Why are you eating it?"

Sasha blinked in confusion. "Are you asking me...why people eat potatoes, sir?"

Everyone's eyes widened at her comment. Shadis stared down at her, completely silent. Sasha, while not knowing what she did wrong, understood that she had made a mistake. She took her potato with both her hands and broke it with a tiny grunt. Then, she held out a piece of the potato, a smile slowly growing across her face. "Sir, would you like half of my potato?"

"Half...for...for me?" Shadis looked down at the half of potato in surprise. Sasha's smile grew wider.


	4. Attack on Jean

The members of the 104th trainees squad stood on the porch of the mess hall. Eren was leaning against the railing on his elbows, watching as Sasha ran another lap on the sand trail, the sun starting to set.

"Wow, being told to run until dinner was over was a really rough punishment," he said.

"Yeah, but that didn't even make her upset. Potato Girl was almost in tears when she learned that she wouldn't have food rations for a day," Connie said, leaning against the wall behind him.

"Look," Armin pointed up. A hover bus, which looked just like a normal bus, but instead of wheels, it floated above ground, was flying away from them. It was just a black silhouette against the shield lights, but they all knew what it was. It was filled with trainees who had quit. Eren scoffed quietly. He wasn't like them at all.

* * *

><p>"I heard the colossal titan was bigger than earth itself!" one of the trainees, Tomas, said.<p>

Eren was trying to eat his soup, but a crowd of people surrounded his, Armin's, and Mikasa's table once they learned that they were from Shingansina.

"Nah, it wasn't that big," Eren shrugged. "Still bigger than the rest of the titans though."

"What are they like?" Connie asked.

"Well, their wings are all tan and kinda leathery, and about as long as their arm span," Eren explained.

"Except for that armored one we saw on the boat, remember," Armin reminded him.

"You saw the armored titan too?!" Tom, another trainee, asked. Eren nodded.

"Yeah, it's wings were really small. Well, at least for a titan that size."

Suddenly, all Eren could hear was an overwhelming wave of questions.

"Were they scary?"

"Did you get hurt?"

"Did you touch one?"

"How do they eat people?"

"Did you see anyone get eaten?"

Get eaten?

Get eaten?

The question echoed in Eren's head. The spoon slipped out from his fingers and clattered into the bowl as Eren covered his mouth, muffling his gags. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears forming in the corners of them as pictures flashed behind his eyelids. His mom, getting ripped in half. The blood flying everywhere. The bloodstained hand and teeth of the titan.

"Alright, guys, I think he's had enough," Connie said, turning to the others.

"No, Connie, it's fine." Eren ripped his bread with his teeth and chewed, looking up at them with anger and determination. "I watched my mom get eaten."

"Eren, we're so-"

Eren interrupted Tomas's apology. "Don't worry, Tomas. I'm going to join the Survey Corps and kill all of them! I'll get my reve-"

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Everyone turned to Jean, who was sitting at the table next to Eren and laughing his head off. "That's adorable, Jaeger, really."

Eren stood up, pushing his chair out and slamming his hands on the table. "QUIT LAUGHING!"

"MAKE ME!" Jean stood up as well.

"Jean, please, don't go picking fights now, we'll get in trouble," Marco put a hand on Jean's arm, but he pushed him away and stepped out into the aisle. Eren stepped out as well, going up on his toes so that his face was in Jean's.

"You know, you should do the smart thing and avoid titans all together, like I am!" Jean said.

The Military Police is what Jean was talking about. Only the top ten trainees are allowed to chose to join the Military Police. They would then reside in what is called "the underground." This is where the Emperor, along with the wealthiest of people, live. There are many cave entrances around the world, that lead down into a fairly large underground city. In the center is a giant castle, where the Emperor lives and has full command of the world. The Military are used for protecting the Emperor, however, whoever is rich enough to live in the underground have little to no chance of ever seeing a titan. This is because even if a titan is able to break through the shield (as they did), the underground was still far away enough from the titans and nobody ever worried about ever seeing one. The Underground is right below the continent of North America. Many continents have been taken over by titans, so the only safe continents under the shield are North America, South America, Europe, and a part of Asia. The rest of Asia, and Australia and Antarctica, have been taken over by the titans, forcing what was left of America into the last three and 1/5 countries.

* * *

><p>Panting, Sasha collapsed in front of the mess hall. Her brown bangs fell into her eyes and she rolled onto her back. Her ponytail was stuck to the back of her sweaty neck, and her clothes were sticking to her body. She stared up at the shield lights, and laid there, the only sound was her gasping for breath. But then, a twig snapped, and Sasha's eyes snapped over to her right. A figure was moving towards her.<p>

"Could it be..." Sasha muttered.

Suddenly, she was an animal. She had jumped up to her hands and feet and launched herself forward, snatching whatever the person was holding with her mouth and landing in a crouch. The person stumbled and fell on their butt with a small yelp.

Sasha took whatever it was that was out of her mouth. "IT'S BREAD!"

"Hey, wait, you should drink some water first," the person said, their voice light and sounding like a bell. Sasha turned to face her savior, a girl with golden hair and a kind face. "I'm sorry, this is all I could manage to get for you."

"GODDESS!" Sasha crawled over to the girl and devouring the bread whole, chugging the water down, and collapsing, letting her head fall onto the girl's lap.

"My name's Krista," she giggled.

"Sas...ha..." Sasha responded before closing her eyes and falling asleep on Krista's lap. She was drooling slightly, but Krista didn't mind.

"What're ya doin'?" a voice came from the shadows. Krista looked up and saw a girl standing above them, arms crossed.

"Oh, hello Ymir."

"She's not supposed to be eating, ya know."

"I know, but I couldn't help it. I felt so bad..."

"Let's just take her back to the mess hall, 'kay?"

* * *

><p>"Coward!" Eren yelled.<p>

"SUICIDAL MANIAC!" Jean screamed

There was a creak, and both of them stopped in their tracks. All heads turned to the door, which was opened just a crack. Suddenly, half of Shadis's face was showing in the crack of the door. "What is all the noise?" he asked, so calm he was scary.

There was a silence before Mikasa glanced at Sasha, who was now sitting next to her, and raised her hand. "Sasha ripped a giant fart, sir."

"MIKASA?!" Sasha screeched in terror.

"Well then, Ms. Blouse, please, TRY TO CONTROL YOURSELF!" the door slammed shut and everyone doubled over laughing.

"Mikasa, why?!" Sasha grabbed Mikasa's shirt and laid her head on her shoulder, sobbing with embarrassment.

Jean looked back at Eren. "Hey, man, I'm sorry," he held out his hand.

Eren looked down at Jean's hand, then back up at his face. "Yeah, whatever," he scoffed, smacking Jean's hand away and storming out. Jean blinked in surprise, watching Eren leave. Mikasa stood and started to walk after him, passing right in front of Jean.

Jean went red in the face, and suddenly started to stammer; "O-OH! Uh...h-hi."

Mikasa turned to him, emotionless.

Jean looked down at his hands, squeezing them together. "W-Well..uh...I j-just wanted to say...uh...YOUHAVEREALLYPRETTYLONGBLACKHAIR!"

Mikasa made no reaction. "Thanks." She turned and walked out the door. Jean stood in awe for a second before running after her. Once he got outside, he saw Eren and Mikasa walking together.

"You really should cut your hair," Eren said, running his fingers through Mikasa's hair.

"You think?"

"Yeah, it's really long, and it may get caught in the jetpacks."

Jean's head was now bowed as he listened to their conversation, a dark look crossing his face.

"Hm. How short do you think I should cut it?"

Connie, hands in his pockets, walked past Jean, humming. Jean ran his hand down the back of Connie's shirt.

"HEY! What the hell, man?! What did you wipe on my shirt?!" Connie turned to him, trying to reach his own back.

"Oh, nothing," Jean murmured. "Just my faith in humanity."


	5. Attack on Major Josh Tucker

Eren, Armin, and Mikasa were approaching a giant building. "Room 346," Armin said. "Third level."

"There's an elevator," Mikasa pointed to one and they ran over. There was already a boy in there, who held the door open as the three piled in. He had blonde hair ruffled around his head like a halo, and bright blue, kind eyes. His smile lit up the building, making the three kids smile as well. He had such a kind and happy face.

"Where ya headed?" the boy asked almost cheerfully.

"Third floor," Armin answered as the doors slid shut.

"Hey, that's where I'm headed too!" The boy chuckled. "You must be the new trainees?" he asked, noticing their tan trainee jackets. "That's cool. I'm Major Josh Tucker. My office is room 340."

"You're a major?" Eren asked in awe.

"That's right!" the man pointed to a pin on his jacket. "Major of the Survey Corps."

"No way!" Eren gasped. Josh Tucker nodded and slid off his jacket, revealing the Survey Corps green cape with the wings on freedom on the back. "Woah..." Eren reached out. Josh Tucker nodded, and Eren pinched the material between his thumb and pointer finger. "A real Survey Corps cape..." Eren looked back up at the Major as the doors dinged and opened up to a green hallway. "So, you've been outside of the shield?"

Josh Tucker chuckled. "A few times, yes. I just got promoted to Major, so I may be around here more than outside, doing office work."

"That is so COOL!" Eren giggled like he was a little boy again. "I've always _dreamed _of being in the Survey Corps!"

"Well, then, you're an odd one," Josh Tucker said, stopping at room 340 and letting his hand rest on the doorknob. "Humanity could use a few more people like you, kid."

"Really? That means so much, coming from you!"

Josh Tucker laughed, opening his office door. "Well, you three better get to training. Hopefully, I'll see you around."

Armin and Mikasa saluted. Eren glanced back at them and quickly saluted as well. Josh Tucker chuckled, waving his hand.

"Oh, don't you worry, I'm not all that formal. Have fun at training!" With that, Josh Tucker closed the office door and was gone. Armin grabbed Eren's wrist and lead him away from the door and to room 346.

"That was so cool, right guys?! A real Survey Corps major! AND he's been outside the shield! More than once! He must be so powerful," Eren rambled as Mikasa opened the door and Armin shoved him in there. His eyes widened in awe at the giant room. Turns out the door lead them onto a giant balcony with a blue glass wall keeping them from falling over. Then, the floor below the balcony was two stories down, with bright blue walls and a screen on the opposite wall of the balcony. The three friends approached the group of trainees.

"FOR YOUR TRAINING EXPERIENCE THIS ROOM IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!" Shadis yelled. "IT IS ONE OF OUR FOUR SIMULATION ROOMS IN THE BUILDING. THREE FOR TRAINEES AND ONE FOR SOLDIERS TO WORK OUT AND PRACTICE!"

"So cool..." Eren muttered under his breath.

"TODAY WE ARE DOING A JET PACK TEST, TO SEE HOW WELL YOU CAN BALANCE IN IT!" Shadis announced. "WHO VOLUNTEERS TO TRY FIRST!"

Eren's hand shot up in the air. Shadis's eyes narrowed towards the boy.

"Jaeger," he said in an uncharacteristically low voice. "Thank you for volunteering."

Eren walked over to Shadis who helped him put on the jet pack. It was just like a backpack, but with a strap around the stomach and two straps around the legs. As soon as Shadis let go of the jet pack, Eren slumped over and grunted. The jet pack was a LOT heavier than it looked. Shadis opened a blue glass door in the blue glass wall, and Eren lowered himself to the ground using a ladder. He looked behind him and saw the giant screen buzz to life as Shadis controlled it with a computer behind the wall.

Settings: empty.

Wind: none.

"Now, Jaeger," Shadis said into a microphone, his voice booming through speakers in the giant room. Eren looked up at the balcony and saw everyone looking through the blue glass wall. "Unsheath your swords."

Eren looked down at the straps around his legs. Attached to either one was a sheathed sword. He pulled them out, but all that came out were hilts with a red button on either one. Not even a blade.

"Press the red buttons!" Shadis ordered. Eren nodded and pressed the button, gasping as two blue lasers shot out of the hilts, taking the shape of a normal blade.

"Laser swords..." Eren whispered. "Awesome!"

"Now, Jaeger, in a moment you will press the red buttons again. It will turn on the jet pack and you will fly up. You can control how high or low you go by the pressure of your thumbs. You can control what direction you go by leaning. YOU WILL NOT LEAN!"

Eren jumped when Shadis yelled into the microphone.

"You are just going to fly up and balance in the air, keeping the pressure of your thumbs constant so you stay in one place. You will need to hold your core tightly so you can balance. Understand?"

Eren nodded.

"Alright. And...GO!"

Eren pressed the red button and screamed as he shot up into the air faster than he expected. Suddenly, his head slammed against the ceiling. Even though he couldn't hear it, behind the blue glass wall everyone just went "ooohhhh..." He released pressure on the buttons and slowly lowered until he was hovering right in front of the balcony. All he saw was Mikasa's worried face before he felt a jolt around his stomach and he started doing forward flips in place.

"AH! AH! AH!" All Eren could see was a flash of the balcony, then blue, then the balcony, then more blue as he flipped over and over.

"Jaeger! Jaeger, tighten your core! Straighten your body!" Shadis eventually sighed and strapped in a jet pack himself, turning on the laser swords and opening the door, shooting into the air. With expert ease, he wrapped one arm around Eren and brought him back into the balcony. Eren just sat on the ground as Shadis unstrapped him, head bowed in shame.

* * *

><p>"I stink," Eren said as the trainees all poured out of the room and into the halls. He held an ice pack to his throbbing head, a lump growing where he had hit the ceiling.<p>

"Don't be ridiculous, Eren, it's a very difficult thing to do," Mikasa comforted.

"Even Armin could do it!" Eren groaned, earning a "HEYYYY!" from Armin.

"Hey, it's the three musketeers!" a jolly voice came from behind them. Armin and Mikasa saluted. Eren was late to salute again, before saluting as well, his hand on his chest clutching the ice pack.

"At ease, guys," Major Josh Tucker laughed. "Wow. 'At ease.' I feel so professional now that I get to say that. So COOOOL!" he squealed before composing himself. "How was your first day of training?" He studied Eren's dismal face. "Not fantastic, I am to assume?"

"I can't use a jet pack!" Eren groaned, holding the ice pack back on the top of his head. "I hit the ceiling."

"Oohh," Josh Tucker groaned as if he could feel the pain.

"Yeah. And then I couldn't stop leaning forward and doing flips! I was out of control," Eren moaned. "I was the only one in the entire group who couldn't get the hang at it."

"I'm sorry about that, kid," Josh Tucker sighed. He was such an odd Major. He was much more childlike, not to mention friendlier to the trainees. He didn't act higher up than them. "Hey, you have lunch now, right?" When the three of them nodded, he grinned. "Great! Let me walk with you. It's in the same direction as the Survey Corps mess hall."

And so that's how the four of them started walking outside of the building and past the dorms, to the mess hall. "You know, it's nice to have a few kids who dream of being in the Survey Corps," Josh Tucker said. "We don't get much of those anymore."

"How did you get involved in the Survey Corps, Major Tucker?" Armin asked.

"Oh, it was mostly the chance to be outside of the shield," Josh Tucker shrugged. "The school automated teaching system never really talked about it, you know?" Armin nodded.

"I understand, sir. I feel the same way."

Josh Tucker nodded. "I figured the only way to learn about it was joining the Survey Corps," he continued.

"And did you?" Eren asked. "Learn about it, I mean."

"Oh, yeah!" Josh Tucker enthusiastically pumped his fist in the air. "I got to see the sky! I saw the stars! I went to different places that aren't shield protected anymore-"

"Like Asia?" Mikasa whispered. Josh Tucker looked at her. This was the first time she had said something to him. He nodded.

"Yep. Asia. I've been there."

"WOAH! Really?!" Eren gasped. "What's it like?"

"There's no people there. We like to go in the forests of city ruins, to avoid being spotted by titans, you know," Josh Tucker explained. "And, of course, I get to take some home."

"What do you mean?" Eren asked.

"Everywhere I go I try to find a little thing I can smuggle back to my office," Josh Tucker chuckled, a guilty sparkle flashing in his eyes. "Kind of like a souvenir. Don't tell anyone though."

Armin found it odd that he was entrusting this information to a few trainees he just met, but ignored that. "So, you keep a collection!"

"That's right! A collection!" Josh Tucker said excitedly. "You three should come over and check it out sometime."

"I would love that..."Eren sighed, already thinking about the cool stuff this military officer had found. By this point in their conversation, they had already reached the Survey Corps mess hall. The next building over was the trainee's mess hall.

"I'll talk to you kids later, okay? Maybe you can come to my office!" Josh Tucker walked into the mess hall and closed the door behind him before bursting outside again. "And EREN! Good luck with the jet pack thing!"

Eren waved as he walked into the Survey Corps mess hall again. "Woah."

"He's so nice," Armin said as they continued to their own mess hall and entered the bustling chaos.

"I would like to go visit him sometime," Mikasa said, which was strange for her. Eren had never known her to be so trusting so fast. But he shrugged that thought off as something he shouldn't care about.

"Me too. I want to see that collection. He's so cool!" Eren sat down at a table and sighed.

"Who's so cool?" Jean asked from the next table over.

Eren glanced over at Jean. "Oh...no one."


	6. Attack on Reiner and Bertholdt

Eren hated himself for what he was about to do. With Armin at his side, he stood at one of the dormitory rooms, his fist raised and poised to knock. He just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Just do it, Eren," Armin whispered. Eren glanced over at Armin, fist staying in the air.

"It's embarrassing."

"He's already at the top of the class for jet pack maneuvering. He's the best to go to for advice."

"Do I have to?"

"Do you want to be able to join the Survey Corps?"

Eren groaned. He couldn't deny that he really wanted to go outside the shield and fight those winged beasts. He rapped his fist three times on the door. The doorknob turned, and Eren sucked in his breath, preparing for the worst. The dormitory door opened to reveal none other than Jean Kirchstien, the one Eren had gotten into fights with in the mess hall. Jean was at the top of the class for jet pack maneuvering, and Eren was at the bottom. Jean's face fell into a very pissed off look.

"What do you want, Jaeger?"

Eren opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He turned to Armin. "I can't."

"You have to."

"I can't!"

"EREN!"

Eren sighed and turned back to Jean, sucking in a breath. "I...can't use the jet pack that well..."

"You suck," Jean interrupted, crossing his arms and smirking. Eren winced at the words he was going to say next.

"A-And I was...wondering...if you...wouldhelpme?" he spat out the last three words as quickly as possible. It was almost as if the words burnt his tongue, he gagged slightly. Jean burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching his stomach. The very same Eren Jaeger, who was so cocky about his abilities earlier, was here asking HIM for help!

Eren waited for Jean to finish his laughter, hiding his embarrassed, blushing face behind his hands. Finally, Jean's chuckles subsided into little giggles that burst from his lips from time to time. "No way in hell," Jean whispered, amused. Eren groaned.

"Please?"

Jean's smirk grew wider, and Connie, his roommate, appeared behind him to watch the scene. "What was that, Jaeger?" Jean asked proudly.

Eren hesitated. "Please?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Could you hear him, Connie?" Jean turned to ask his roommate before turning to Eren without waiting for a reply. "You're going to have to speak up, Jaeger."

Eren glanced at Armin, who nodded encouragingly. "I won't do it," Eren whispered.

"Jean's your best hope, Eren," Armin said.

"YOU HEARD THE KID!" Jean hollered with laughter. "_I'M _YOUR BEST HOPE!"

Eren shook his head desperately at Armin, refusing to look at Jean. Connie was now laughing as well, quieter, and muffling himself by covering his mouth with his hand. Eren squeezed his eyes shut. "Please?" his voice came out as a little squeak, breathless.

"I can't hear you, Eren," Jean crossed his arms, waiting expectantly. "You know, I may be able to hear you a little bit better if you were on your knees."

Eren's head snapped back to Jean. "_What?_" Unbeknownst to Eren, Connie pulled out a camera, his finger hovering over the **Record** button.

Jean pointed at the ground, smirking at Eren. Eren stared at Jean, then at Armin, then back at Jean. "No way. Not happening."

Jean shrugged. "Then I guess I can't help you."

Eren moaned. Jean _was _the best in their trainee squad. And he REALLY needed help if he was ever going to join the Survey Corps and kill all the titans. After a long moment of hesitation, Eren got down to his knees. Jean scoffed, surprised the oh-so-stubborn Eren Jaeger actually did what he told.

"Please?" Eren whispered, bowing his head in shame.

"Please _what_, Jaeger?" Jean asked. Connie pressed **Record**, and the camera started rolling.

Eren, unknowing about the camera, took a deep breath and clasped his hands together, looking up at Jean. "_PLEASE _help me work out the jet pack! I'm so bad at it and you're the best trainee so far and you're my best hope if I ever want to defeat the titans. I need your help, Jean! I _need _you!"_  
><em>

Jean snorted. "You need me?" he put one hand on his chest, beaming.

Eren nodded. "Please, please, please, PLEASE help me!"

Jean glanced back at Connie, grinning, and only then did Eren notice the camera. "HEY!" he yelled, pointing at Connie accusingly, and Connie quickly shut off the camera and hid it behind his back, smiling guiltily. Rising to his feet, Eren grabbed Jean by the shirt. "You tricked me!"

"Your little act was adorable, Jaeger, really," Jean grabbed Eren's wrist and yanked his grasp off of his shirt. "But I'm afraid begging isn't enough."

"Don't you dare-"

"My answer is no. Goodnight." With that, the door slammed in Eren's appalled face.

"No..." he rested both his hands on the door. "No..."

"Eren..." Armin reached out to comfort his friend, but his hand was batted away.

"JERK!" Eren pounded on Jean and Connie's door. Laughter came from the other side of the door, and Eren hit harder. "COWARD! LIAR! CHEATER! GOOD FOR NOTHING!"

"Eren, be quiet!" Armin grabbed both of Eren's wrists and pulled him away from the door. "You tried."

"He humiliated me!"

"I'm sorry," Armin released Eren and bowed his head. They remained in silence until a new voice broke it.

"Hey."

Eren and Armin both jumped sky-high, spinning to face the voice. Two boys stood in the doorway across the hall. There was a tall, sweaty, nervous looking boy and a shorter -but definitely more muscular -beefy blonde boy.

"Havin' a little trouble there?" asked the original speaker, the blonde one.

Armin spoke up before Eren could do anything rash. "We were just asking for help on Eren's jet pack skills. Jean Kirchstien, the boy he was talking to, is at the top of the class for jet packing, but obviously he refused Eren's request."

"That was a cute little act you put on there, kid," the blonde crossed his arms and smirked at Eren, who groaned in embarrassment.

"You saw?"

"The whole thing. You're very loud," the blonde said. "I'm Reiner. This is Bertholdt," he motioned to his tall friend, who waved shyly.

"I'm Armin Arlert, and this is my friend Eren Jaeger," Armin introduced.

"We've heard of y-you," Bertholdt finally decided to speak up. "Both of you."

"You're crazy kid who slammed against the ceiling!" Reiner pointed at Eren, who moaned, still feeling pain in his head. "That was great, dude. I couldn't stop laughing."

"I know, it was hilarious," Eren muttered sarcastically, rubbing his sore head.

"And you're the genius, right?" Reiner pointed at Armin, who jumped in surprise.

"M-Me?" Armin blushed. "Oh, hardly."

"Oh, don't be so modest," Eren slapped Armin's back, grinning in pride. "My best friend here is a certifiable genius."

"You said you needed help with the jet packs?" Reiner asked Eren, returning to the original topic. It was his turn to slap his best friend's back, turning to Bertholdt and grinning with pride. "Well, Bert here happens to be pretty dang good with jet packs. He's no Kirchstien, but he's still better than me."

"O-Oh, I wouldn't say that," Bertholdt rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. It's like these two pairs of friends were the same. Reiner and Eren, the proud, loud ones, and Bertholdt and Armin as the sheepish, modest ones. And of course, although the four of them may not know it yet, they also have another thing in common. The tip of Armin and Eren's Shinganshinian triangle, Mikasa, was actually a lot like Reiner and Bertholdt's third friend, Annie. However, they didn't know about each other's third members of the friendship triangle, so for now they only saw the similarities in the friends before them.

"Do you think you can help me?" Eren asked excitedly. Bertholdt smiled down at the boy.

"Of course I can. Anything for you, Eren."


End file.
